LEBANON, IL & ROLLA, MO  --  Missouri S&T has a pair of matches coming up in the the next several days, as they are set to play #11 McKendree on Saturday before facing Thomas More on Monday in a rematch of last weekend's contest.

About the Bearcats
McKendree is one of the best teams in the country, ranking 11th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. As members of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, the Bearcats regularly play ranked opponents and are currently 4-5 against them. They have won their last four straight against ranked teams though, defeating #6 Loyola Chicago, #8 Ball State, #12 Lewis, and #15 Ohio State.

The Bearcats rank top ten in the nation for kills per set, assists per set, and digs per set, ranking 1st in the nation in the latter. Senior middle blocker D'Aaron McCraney is one McKendree's best attackers, ranking 4th in nation for hitting percentage with a 0.464 percentage. 

About the Saints
The Saints are set to play three matches before facing the Miners on Monday, with a match against Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday followed by two matches against Rockhurst over the weekend. The Saints are 4-4 this season, most recently defeating Central State University 3-0.

Thomas More is sixth in the nation for both digs per set and opponent hitting percentage, recording 10.12 digs per set and holding opponents to a 0.190 attack percentage. They boast the nation's leader in digs per set in Tyler Vasquez who is averaging 3.16 per set.

About the Miners
The Miners are 7-8 this season and are riding a two game win streak heading into their match against McKendree on Saturday. They have taken six straight sets after a pair of sweeps over last weekend, taking down both Kentucky State and Thomas More in a road trip to Kentucky.

Nate Meyer (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) and Aaron Sallade (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd) continue to highlight the Miners' offensive attacking, with the two combining for 287.5 of the team's 660.5 points this season. Tyler Johnwick (Lombard, IL/Glenbard East) and Caleb Rohlwing (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) headline the Miner defense, recording 38 and 26 blocks this year, respectively.

What's Next
S&T will host another match on Thursday, March 13th against Quincy University.

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